Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht, creator of the Silk Road

US President Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the wireless marketplace SilekRod, who has been in prison for 12 years.

“I called Ross William Ulbright's mother to let her know that I would be happy to sign a full and unconditional apology to her son, Ross, in honor of myself and her strong support for the libertarian movement.” Trump in 2016 He said in a January 21 post on the Truth Social Forum.

The president added that Ulbricht's 40-year sentence and two life sentences were “ridiculous.”

Ulbricht was arrested in 2013 and sentenced to life in prison in 2015 without the possibility of parole for his role in the operation and creation of the Silk Road.

Releasing Ulbricht was one of several promises Trump made to the crypto community during his presidential campaign, the first day he promised to pardon the Silk Road founder if re-elected.

Trump had earlier voiced his dismay at not following through on his Jan. 20 promise to pardon Ulbricht — instead pardoning about 1,500 people accused, convicted or convicted of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

U.S. Senator Rand Paul asked Trump to pardon Ulbricht in a letter on January 21, hours before the president announced the pardon.

Paul Ulbricht – whose online black market used Bitcoin (BTC) for payment – said he received a much harsher sentence than many users such as Matthew Veran Jones, who ranked in the top 5% of drug dealers on the site and received six years in prison. .

Some reports have previously indicated that Trump is sympathetic to the Free Ross campaign and is considering a pardon for the Silk Road founder in 2020.

Why Bitcoin Supporters Debate Ulbricht's Resignation?

The crypto community has been calling for Ulbricht's release for a variety of reasons.

Some have questioned Ulbricht's key role in the Silk Road, contributing to a marketplace where users could freely exchange legal and illegal goods, arguing that he should not have died in prison.

Others have called him a “Bitcoin legend” because of his early contributions to the Bitcoin market.

While Ulbricht denied involvement in Silk Road operations, he repeatedly denied allegations that he was the sole mastermind or mastermind behind the scheme.

“I didn't start the Silk Road, my predecessor did. As I understand it, the original idea was to combine Bitcoin and Tor to create an anonymous market. Everything was in place, he just put the pieces together,” Ulbricht said in a 2013 Forbes interview.

Ulbricht to Bitcoin adoption

Some Bitcoiners credited Ulbricht's departure for his role in Bitcoin's adoption. Silk Road was one of the first peer-to-peer exchanges to accept BTC, albeit for illegal purposes.

Ulbricht is believed to have started Silk Road in 2011 and helped Bitcoin gain popularity in its early days. That same year, Bitcoin experienced its first rally, reaching a record high of $32 in June.

“I owe everything to Ross Ulbricht. Crypto changed my life. Crypto became big because of him. He made the ultimate sacrifice. We all benefited from his work,” Bitcoin Project Programmer Amir Taki said on X.

Related: Crypto watchers are still hopeful about Trump despite a quiet first day

Bitcoin-friendly billionaire Tim Draper has backed Ulbricht's ouster in 2019, arguing that the US needs more entrepreneurs like him.

Ulbricht's libertarian views align with Bitcoin's principles, further cementing his position as a polarizing figure in the crypto community.

While in prison, Ulbricht regularly posted about Bitcoin and crypto on X. January 19. to warn the public against the fake memecoin that bears his name.

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